The Gamble
by 1008604
Summary: Prince Leo is taken captive to be used as a bargaining chip against his father, King Garon. There is little he finds likable about the handsome thief that has him locked away, though he discovers that with gambles of the heart, someone always loses. Self-indulgent, non-canon, meaningless AU.
1. The Ante

Chapter 1: The Ante

 **Ante**

 _A compulsory, minimum opening or starting bet put up by players before each hand._

The cloth against his face was rough and foul smelling, though it did its job of obscuring not only his vision, but his entire face. It blocked out his sense of smell, of direction, and his ability to discern whether he was inside or outside, or if it was daytime or nighttime. His hands were bound painfully against his back, his wrists scraped raw by the rope holding them together and he could feel blood drop down the fingers of one of them, staining into his tunic. Rough hands gripped either of his elbows, forcing him along in a cold area that he could only imagine was made of some kind of stone based on the sound his boots made against the floor.

It was unnaturally smooth, so he could easily assume that he was inside somewhere at the very least, and the hall was wide enough for the three of them to fit abreast without discomfort. While he was not used to being put in a situation such as this, he knew he had to keep his wits about him to make sure he would be able to get out alive. A sudden pause in their step nearly sent him tumbling, but the hands on his arms kept him upright with bruising force, and he had to resist the overwhelming urge to tear away. It would be foolish. There was no way he could know how many people were nearby, he hadn't any idea where Brynhildr was, and fighting back defenselessly was a death wish.

A door creaked open, and Leo found himself aggressively carted along again though it was only for a moment before he was shoved down onto a short, flat surface that seemed to be a rather small stool. Though the men released him, he was not foolhardy enough to attempt to run, and waited until whomever had ordered him here showed their face. Leo was no stranger to the many factions of resistance groups that littered around Nohr. When you are one of the strongest sons of the reigning king, you came to expect them, learn about them, and destroy them in turn; crush them under your heel before they gain enough traction to do any harm.

This instance, however, was too little, too late. Leo heard someone hum under their breath, though it was far enough away for him to think he may be hearing things. "Let me see him." The voice was low and sultry, one that Leo did not recognize, and he felt someone grasp his shoulder before forcefully removing the cloth from around his head. He sucked in a breath of fresh air, free from the putrid smell of the burlap, and took in his bearings as quickly as he could. The architecture was older, the brickwork laid in a way that narrowed down his location substantially, as only the older mansions and castles of Nohr were made in this way.

His dark eyes flicked to the window, and he saw a long, grassy knoll immediately outside with an archaic windmill atop, though the blades were torn and falling apart. The mill seemed to be empty, perhaps for many years, and Leo was able to glance out one more window on the other side and catch a quick glimpse of a long stretch of flat, dead land outside before someone grasped his hair, forcing him to face forward. "The illustrious Prince Leo," the same voice said in a mocking manner, the heavy sound of his boots sounding from a shadow at the edge of the room that was slowly becoming encompassed in darkness. He could make out some of his clothes, though the face was still shrouded and the voice was still a mystery to him.

Leather boots, worn in places from much use, clung to the man's legs up past his knee, where striped pants were encompassed nearly completely by a dark blue cloak. The edges were frayed and falling apart, and he could see a quiver of arrows strapped around the person's waist and a rather fine bow hanging from his back. He could not make out any more than that, as the man had stopped walking towards him and would not reveal his face. But Leo knew that he was in the presence of some kind of dangerous criminal, someone who was stupid enough to kidnap a Prince of Nohr and manage to succeed. He needed to be careful, as this man was no ordinary outlaw, and he chose not to reply as he kept his head up as proudly as he could. Leo would not be intimidated.

The silence lingered for a moment before the man's boots sounded again, moving out of the shadow finally and into Leo's view in the falling sunlight. Leo took in as much as he could remember, in case he would have to describe the man later if he got out of this situation alive. His skin was dark and helped his stark white hair stand out against his face. He wore a black eyepatch on his right eye, though the other was a cold blue that was focused on Leo intently. His mouth was skewed into a humorless half smile and his arms crossed over his bared chest. All of that information was filed away carefully into Leo's mind as he stared unabashedly at the man's face, burning it into his memory.

 _The windmill on the hill, archaic Nohrian architecture, grassy field, white haired archer with dark skin._ That seemed to be everything that would be useful information for the future, and the man had reached a point directly before Leo once he had finished processing that information. He was tall and broad, though Leo wondered if he just had a bad vantage point from where he sat on the low stool. The man knelt down before Leo, waiving his hand casually at the person behind him who finally released the vice grip on his hair. "You've brought me all this way just to kneel before me," Leo said flatly, no humor in his voice though he found some irony in the situation.

Against his expectation, the man reacted with a short bark of laughter, his mouth curled up in genuine mirth as he reached forward to grasp at Leo's chin. His hands were warm and callous against Leo's face, and he ran his thumb across the prince's mouth deftly and with no sign of hesitation. "You really are quite a surprise, Milord," he said coolly, as Leo remained still in his hand, keeping his expression neutral and unaffected. The white haired man stood as released his face, taking a step back and placing on hand against his hip. "My name is Niles."

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Niles?" Leo found himself surprisingly calm given the circumstances though it did not stop him from trying to loosen the rope that was biting painfully into his wrists. He was certain the white tunic that he wore was unsalvageable, though perhaps his entire life was forfeit at this point and it would be absurd to be worrying about a piece of clothing. Niles' humorless smile was still painted on his face, his eye still trained on Leo as he remained silent for a moment. With one deft movement, his hand darted to his belt and a knife flashed before Leo's eyes as Niles twirled it between his fingers.

He said, "Let us talk plainly." He reached out and grasped Leo's shirt, tugging him forward and he saw his other hand dart around Leo. His breath caught in his throat as he waited for pain, a knife between his ribs or in his back, but he heard a dull thud and his hands were freed from the rope. One of them was bleeding as badly as he suspected and the other was still whole, though the skin was dark red from the friction. A hand still in Leo's tunic, Niles lifted him from his seat and released the cloth, waving away the rest of the guards from the room. "Go on," he ordered, beginning to light candles around the hall as the sun faded past the horizon.

Much to Leo's surprise they acquiesced, and he glanced around for a moment long enough to see the door shut behind whoever was in the room. Well, it didn't matter if he didn't see their faces. Niles was obviously in charge, and if his family's wrath needed to befall someone, he would be first in line. "For this conversation to occur, it would be necessary for you to initiate it," Leo finally stated when Niles said nothing, fixing his tunic that had been tugged askew and pressing a sleeve to his bleeding wrist. Hopefully he could calm flow enough to stop it, because he needed nothing to distract him if he were to escape from this place as soon as he could.

Niles moved towards him quickly and Leo stepped back, a thousand thoughts spinning through his head at the same time trying to decide how to best defend himself. Before he could move, the callous fingers were against his skin again, taking his hand and examining the damage on his wrist. "True," he replied as if nothing strange had happened. Leo allowed him to look at his skin though he didn't know what to say, his eyes watching Niles' for some kind of sign. He released Leo's hand and tossed a roll of bandages towards him from the table. Leo nearly dropped them. "To speak as plainly as necessary given the circumstances, Prince Leo, you are our hostage."

"That much is clear," he bit back, the bandages still clenched in his hand. He could almost roll his eyes at the absurdly obvious statement. "What are your demands? What are you looking to accomplish by taking me captive?" Niles watched him with that frustrating half smile, his head tilted with white hair falling into his face.

"My, my, someone is a little forceful, aren't they?" Leo did not appreciate the suggestive tone that Niles' voice took as he grasped the hand that still held the bandages, holding Leo's arm against his chest as he leaned in close to his face. It was vaguely flustering, though Leo was too angry to feel anything but overwhelming hatred for this man. Niles was dangerously close to Leo, their noses nearly touching as he held the prince in place, his fingers digging into the sore skin of his wrist. "Don't act like you're the one in charge here, little Prince. You're only alive out of the goodness of my heart, please act accordingly."

With a loud scoff Leo tore his hand away, ignoring the pain and snapping back, "It's intriguing how you expect to feed me those lies and I will accept it without question. If you wanted me dead, I would be dead." His voice was venomous and he took a step back from Niles as he tossed the bandages back at him without any real effort. He caught it easily. "No, you believe a Prince of Nohr is more valuable alive as a bargaining chip. And you believe I am worthless to you as a corpse. So, if you please, no more games. What is it you want?" Niles looked amused, his arms crossed over his chest once again as he regarded Leo well after he had finished speaking.

"Very observant. Rumors of your intelligence are not exaggerated." Leo flushed, a slew of emotions running through him all at the same time as he struggled to maintain his composure. This man was playing him and he was not going to be a part of the game. He remained quiet, his mouth pressed into a line of anger that would have been acted upon had he been in possession of Brynhildr. "Very well, _my liege_ ," he said, every epithet laced with sarcasm as he bowed exaggeratedly towards Leo. "You are a bargaining chip, a very important one. Taking you was the final piece in the puzzle, and we will use you to get your father the king to give us what we want."

He spat, "What do you think the second son of the king would get you?" Xander was next in line for the throne, and after him was Camilla. Leo's death or life would not affect the kingdom's monarchy in any way, and he knew that his death or life would not affect King Garon either. "My father will not weep over my death nor will you get what you want. Your bargaining chip will prove a gamble that you will lose." The words were bitter on his tongue and he forced the sharp contrast of his emotions settling into a cold visage of control from the fiery anger he felt seconds before. For the first time since their initial meeting, Niles' face had not twisted into some kind of devilish smile. A frown crossed his features, and he grabbed Leo's upper arm so tightly he thought it was going to break.

"We will see about that."


	2. The Bluff

**Chapter 2** : The Bluff

 **Bluff**

 _A wager made with a weak hand often intended to entice other players to fold. Bluffers have little or no chance of winning a showdown._

Leo laid on the cot in his cell with an arm over his eyes, leaning back against the flat, hard pillow as he contemplated his situation objectively. He was in some kind of building, possibly an older stone castle that had been abandoned that the thieves had taken up refuge in. He had no weapon, no horse, and no ally, just the clothes on his back and the head on his shoulders. It honestly was not very good odds, and there was no way for him to tell his family where he was or where to save him. Things seemed dire and Leo couldn't even bring himself to sleep for fear of being attacked when he was most vulnerable. It did not seem like there were other prisoners either, that he could band together and work something through. Just him, alone in this cell with nothing to do.

It was dark inside the cell though he could tell through the high window that it was growing light outside. The night had crawled by without Leo sleeping at all, though not for lack of trying. All he had was his thoughts scrambled inside of his head, all focusing on what led up to this, and then on Niles. The man dragged Leo clear across the castle in the dead of night, his grip bruising his arm as he tossed him in the cell and locked him in. They had not said a word to each other the entire trip there, and even once he had locked Leo inside, Niles gave him nothing but a passing smile before fading into the darkness of the castle.

After that, there was silence.

Sticky blood clung to his wrist, and the tunic stuck to his back as he tried to fix his clothes. He could think of several people he would willing kill for a hot bath, Niles himself at the top of the list as his current captor and major inconvenience to his regularly scheduled life. Leo wondered how long it would take him to realize that what Leo had said was true, and either kill him or just let him go. Self-deprecation was not pretty on anyone, but his evaluation of his words was based more in truth than pity for himself. It was true. King Garon, allowing a massacre in his own home for divine weapons, the loss of Leo would not affect him in the slightest.

Besides, Xander was going to be king once their father passed, and there was no chance of Leo ever being bestowed the crown unless something happened to Camilla and Xander. He was, effectively, useless. He presumed that Niles understood that, and would have to rethink his strategy to wring whatever prize out of Garon that he was looking for. His own fate, however, was unknown. It was unlikely that Leo would simply just walk free after all the effort he was sure they went through to kidnap him, and yet what point would there be to kill him? His father would likely rain terror down upon them, but he would never give them what they wanted, regardless of Leo's life.

"I see you're awake." The voice startled him and he sat up quickly on the cot, seeing Niles standing before his cell twirling a ring of keys around his finger. They jingled finely against each other as they spun, and Leo narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he watched the man before him. "Sleep well?"

"What is your definition of 'well'?" Niles simply laughed and Leo wanted nothing more than to find Brynhildr so he could give him a fight he would not soon forget. But currently, the man was armed with at least one knife and his arrows, and Leo was completely vulnerable outside of his armor and with no tome. The only weapon available to him was his words, though it seemed to do nothing more than amuse Niles rather than intimidate him. Even he had to admit that he did not necessarily cut a threatening figure when stripped of his power.

Niles responded, slipping a key into the cell door, "You seem to be well enough to lash that silver tongue at me. Though I can guarantee there are other, better uses for such a talented mouth." For a moment Leo was confused, before he understood and felt heat rise in the back of his neck at the meaning behind the words. The cell door creaked as it opened and Niles stepped inside rather than allowing Leo to step out. It was easier to catch the features of Niles's face in this lighting, such as the angle of his jaw as he tilted his head to watch Leo looking for all the world like an animal surveying its next snack. His skin was smooth, a dark contrast to his pure white hair, and he could see in the gap of his tunic angled muscles below sharp collarbones.

"I imagine you are not here to see me off safely to Castle Krakenberg," he mentioned weakly, as Niles backed him further into the cell, walking slowly but with deliberate, heavy steps until Leo's back hit the cold stone wall. He kept his expression fierce and stern, though Niles was a wildcard that he could not read or predict. He placed his elbows on either side of Leo's head, his hair brushing the prince's cheek and his breath hot on the side of his neck. Niles' chest was pressed against his own, and the intimacy of the situation was bewildering and flustering to him. "Are you ill?" he asked, trying to break the silence, trying to find some answers to his behavior.

He felt the shaking of Niles' chest as he laughed. "Honestly, I must be," he replied, and Leo felt a warm, soft pair of lips press purposely against his neck, trailing from his jaw down his throat to his collarbone. The sensation sent a shock through his chest and he jerked away, ducking under Niles' arm and nearly tripping over himself as he stopped several feet away. Niles still faced where Leo had been, his hands clenched against the stone for a moment before he turned to look at the prince, one hand still lingering. The shock was still bouncing around in his chest, and he felt his stomach turn over several times at the way Niles was staring at him.

"What are you doing?" Leo demanded, pressing a hand against his neck as he took another step away from Niles. The man seemed distracted as he did not answer immediately, and Leo suddenly realized that the cell door was wide open and he was closer to the door than Niles was to him. Without a second thought, he ran, no other qualms in his mind outside of the overwhelming desire to simply get out of there. His boots echoed off the stone, though it seemed it was early enough in the morning that no one was about. It was a relief as he found himself at a large flight of stone steps, though his ears strained to hear any indication of Niles chasing behind him with no success.

Biting his lip, Leo took the stairs two at a time, resisting the urge to look behind him for his captor as he reached the tall, wooden door. His wrists still ached from the ropes, but there was no time to think as he shoved all his bodyweight against the door as hard as he could muster. It creaked easily under the force, and he managed to open it enough to slide his way through into the hall. Before he could move another step, there was a strong grip on his shirt and he felt himself dragged back. "Where d'ya think you're goin'?" a gruff voice asked, and he struggled to see that the person who had caught him wasn't Niles.

The man was one of many nameless thugs that seemed to be in Niles' employ, though drastically less able and intelligent than his leader seemed to be. Leo tugged loose from his grip, turning around with an unsteady step as black spots burst into his eyes from the jerking movement. He felt weak, but he couldn't stop here, not when he was so close to freedom. "I was…" he hesitated, stealing another step back away. "Looking for something to eat. I am famished." It was a pathetic lie, but he hoped that this sentry did not see through it easily.

"I thought they were bringin' ya your food," the man grumbled, his voice sounding uncertain as he watched Leo from under a canopy of greasy red hair. Leo tried to avoid staring at the large broadsword that was against his hip, though it was difficult not to imagine what would happen if the man were to discover his ruse.

Leo smiled, his hands before him in a peaceful gesture. "I suppose that you were misinformed. I greatly appreciate your concern, but I will be taking my leave." He did not hesitate again as he burst forward from the spot, his limbs feeling like jelly but he could not bring himself to stall any longer. Things were too dire, and he needed to get home immediately. He hurried down another flight of stairs, jumping the banister to the lower level and darting into a dark cranny underneath. He could feel cobwebs against his skin and hair, but it was the safest spot he had been able to find since escaping his cell.

He stopped to catch his breath, a hand pressed against the wall as he leaned over, gasping. The castle was large, and Leo was starting to realize that he was not only lost, but losing too much energy to be able to continue much longer. Slowly, he edged towards the open end of the cranny, carefully peeking out to see if there was anyone nearby. Immediately, he saw nothing, but as he started to move out, he heard several sets of boots sounding down the stairs that he had just hidden under. Quickly as he could, Leo rushed back into the far end of the cranny, keeping an eye out for the group of outlaws.

"…that bastard Niles doesn't seem to know anything," one of them said conversationally, and raucous laughter could be heard amongst the group. It sounded like at least five individuals, but Leo could only catch glimpses of their clothes or hair as they moved into his line of sight. "Once we get rid of him, the prince'll be all ours and we can get his shit father to do whatever we want."

Someone sneered, "Right, we don't need him to take all the money we're gonna get from this. I don't care if it was his idea, taking 50% an' handin' out the rest is basically stealin' from us." There was murmurs of agreement amongst the group, and Leo felt his shoulders tense. They were plotting against Niles? Something in him told him he shouldn't care, but could he just leave the man to die? He owed Niles no favors, the man meant nothing to him, and yet… he knew, now. The feeling of Niles' lips on his neck sent goosebumps across his arms and he should his head, trying to clear it. The men had already moved on and the atrium was quiet once again.

With a sigh, he knew that he could not stay. He would not keep himself in jeopardy to help a common thief who had kidnapped him, and certainly not one as despicable as Niles.

Before he could move however, a strong arm wrapped tightly around his waist and a hand was pressed against his mouth so he could not speak. "Milord." The sarcastic tone was easily identifiable, and Leo grunted loudly against the hand muting his words. Niles tugged him back further into the darkness and released him for a moment before gripping his shoulders and slamming him against the wall. "While I rather like the looks of this, it is under quite unfortunate circumstances that don't bring much pleasure," Niles mused, holding Leo's wrists above his head with one hand and his other holding the prince's chin.

He flushed, embarrassment rising across his cheeks but stood firm, his eyes narrowed. "I wonder if you would be so carefree if you were aware of what your men are doing behind your back." The quip was mostly intended to wound Niles, but the man's amused expression suddenly dropped into a concerned one as he regarded Leo with mild confusion. "I'm rather glad to get your attention with a subject that is not me."

"Explain yourself," he replied shortly, and Leo was suddenly aware that Niles was no longer jovial but tense, his fingers digging into Leo's wrists and face unforgivingly. He tugged his chin away from his hands and gathered his wits about him for a moment. It was becoming increasingly aware how the toll this was taking on his body, but he could not show weakness.

Leo said, "I could not tell you who, but I managed to overhear several of your men plotting amongst themselves about how they were going to kill you and take all of the wealth you will receive from my capture for themselves." Niles said nothing, though his eye looked away from Leo momentarily as he contemplated his words carefully. "One of them mentioned how you 'taking half' and distributing the remainder amongst the rest was 'practically stealing,'" he added for good measure, in case Niles had reason to doubt his words.

That did seem to capture his attention. "Interesting," he breathed, still somewhat distracted by Leo's claim. Whether he chose to believe him was his own business, Leo mused, but he was not going to allow this change in their situation affect his desire to be released.

"Why not just let me go? I am worthless to you," Leo said, his voice hushed. He was too weak to try to escape from Niles' grip, but he did not want the man to be aware of that; any advantage he could get would be beneficial to his cause. For a moment Niles' gaze darted away from Leo towards the opening and he sighed deeply, his grasp loosening very lightly on Leo's injured wrists.

"Little Prince, listen to me carefully." Niles' tone was low and Leo could barely hear what he was saying and he leaned his head in to listen, his burgundy eyes lowered to Niles' mouth to try to understand. "Right now, if what you say is true, you are only alive because everyone else believes in your worth as a prisoner, and if they want the glory for themselves, that renders my leadership rather… unnecessary. I cannot protect you alone if they discover that you are useless to them." Leo could not keep a faint intake of breath at the words, and his eyes caught back with Niles' blue one immediately before him.

His hands were then freed but Leo did not run, trying to process all this information. "What does that mean at this junction then?" he asked cautiously. Against his better judgment, something in him was trying to trust this man, though, he argued with himself, he had little choice. Niles glanced around again, and reached out to take Leo's arm in his hand.

"I am not taking you back to the dungeons," he said as Leo attempted to fight from him. He stopped, suspiciously, and Niles loosened his hand but did not let go. "For now, you will stay in my quarters. I see no other way to keep you out of harm's way."

"Harm?"

Niles smiled darkly. "We will talk when it is safe to. Follow me and, while I never thought I'd say this, try to behave yourself." Leo frowned at the admonishment but obeyed without argument, allowing Niles to tote him along the various halls and finally, to a large ornate door not unlike the one that was the entrance to where he spent the night. Niles pushed it open with ease, and motioned for Leo to walk through first. He closed it behind them.


End file.
